Jean Gulliver '10 showed great heart in coming back to win in three sets.

LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates College women's tennis team played tough in a 7-2 setback to No. 12 nationally ranked Bowdoin College in a NESCAC match on Thursday. The Polar Bears took the top two doubles matches and swept the top five singles matches for the win.

Bates junior Jean Gulliver (Falmouth, Maine) teamed up with first-year Meg Anderson (Cohasset, Mass.) to edge Bowdoin's Hannah Hoerner and Elizabeth Pedowitz 8-6 at third doubles. Gulliver showed great heart in proceeding to win the best match of the day, topping Hoerner in three sets at No. 6 singles, 4-6, 7-5, 10-8. Gulliver came back from being down 5-2 in the second set, winning five straight games to take the set, then won the tiebreaker in the third set.

The Bobcats (2-5) will play at No. 11 Tufts in another NESCAC matchup on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Polar Bears (4-4) snapped a three-match losing streak and will host Connecticut College on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Bowdoin 7, Bates 2

Doubles:

1. Sarah D'Elia/Emily Lombardi (Bow) def. Caryn Benisch/Alex Piacquad (Bat) 8-3

2. Charlotte Hitch/Rachel Waldman (Bow) def. Brooke Morse-Karzen/Erika Blauth (Bat) 8-4

3. Jean Gulliver/Meg Anderson (Bat) def Hannah Hoerner/Elizabeth Pedowitz (Bow) 8-6

Singles:

1. D'Elia def Benisch 6-3,6-1

2. Lombardi def Piacquad 6-2,6-2

3. Waldman def Anderson 7-5,6-4

4. Pedowitz def Morse-Karzen 6-1,6-2

5. Hitch def. Blauth 6-1,6-3

6. Gulliver def. Hoerner 4-6,7-5,10-8